We would like to Honor the memory of these men and women who lost their lives this year, and Remember them each specifically by name. Please pray for these families as they begin their journey of healing through this unimaginable devastation.

January 2017

Spc. Isiah L. Booker, of Cibolo, TX, died Jan. 7, in Jordan, in a non-combat related incident. He was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, KY.

Spc. John P. Rodriguez, of Hemet, CA, died Jan.12, in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in a non-combat related incident. He was supporting U.S. Army Central. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to 2nd Engineer Battalion, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, TX.

Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens, 36, of Peoria, IL, died Jan. 28 in the Arabian Peninsula of Yemen, of wounds sustained in a raid against al-Qaida. He was supporting U.S. Central Command Operations. He was assigned to an East Coast based Special Warfare unit.

Sgt. 1st Class Robert R. Boniface, 34, of San Luis Obispo, CA, died March 19, in Logar Province, Afghanistan, from a non-combat related incident. He was supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Eglin Air Force Base, FL.

Staff Sgt. Austin Bieren, 25, of Umatilla, OR, died March 28 in northern Syria in a non-combat-related incident while deployed in support of combat operations. He was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. He was assigned to the 21st Space Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, CO.

April 2017

Staff Sgt. Mark R. De Alencar, 37, of Edgewood, MD, died April 8 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations. He was supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Eglin Air Force Base, FL.

Sgt. Joshua P. Rodgers, 22, of Bloomington, IL, died April 27 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, as a result of small arms fire while engaged in dismounted operations. He was supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, GA.

Sgt. Cameron H. Thomas, 23, of Kettering, OH, died April 27 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, as a result of small arms fire while engaged in dismounted operations. He was supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, GA.

1st Lt. Weston C. Lee, 25, of Bluffton, GA, died April 29, in Mosul, Iraq, from injuries while conducting security as part of advice and assist support to partnered forces. He was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC.

May 2017

Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Kyle Milliken, 38, of Falmouth, ME, was killed during an operation against al-Shabaab on May 5 in a remote area approximately 40 miles west of Mogadishu. He was supporting a Somali National Army-led operation with U.S. Africa Command. He was assigned to an East Coast based special warfare unit.

Spc. Etienne J. Murphy, 22, of Loganville, GA, died May 26, in Al-Hasakah, Syria, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover related incident. He was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, GA.

Pfc. Hansen B. Kirkpatrick, 19, of Wasilla, Alaska, died July 3, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, from wounds received during an indirect fire attack. The incident is under investigation. He was supporting Operation Freedom Sentinel. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

15 Marines and a Navy sailor killed in a military plane crash on July 10th in Mississippi. Six of the Marines and the sailor were from an elite Marine Raider battalion at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Nine were based out of Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York, home of a Marine Aerial Refueling and Transport Squadron.

We would like to Honor the memory of these men who lost their lives last month, and Remember them each specifically by name. Please pray for these families as they begin their journey of healing through this unimaginable devastation.

We remember these heroes who gave their lives for freedoms cause and the families they left behind.

Capt. Andrew D. Byers, 30, of Rolesville, NC, died Nov. 3 in Kunduz, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained while engaging enemy forces. He was supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He was assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, CO.

Staff Sgt. Matthew C. Lewellen, 27, of Lawrence, KS, died Nov. 4 in Jafr, Jordan, of wounds sustained when their convoy came under fire entering a Jordanian military base. He was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. The incident is under investigation. The soldiers were assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Staff Sgt. Kevin J. McEnroe, 30, of Tucson, AZ, died Nov. 4 in Jafr, Jordan, of wounds sustained when their convoy came under fire entering a Jordanian military base. He was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. The incident is under investigation. The soldiers were assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, KY.

Staff Sgt. James F. Moriarty, 27, of Kerrville, TX, died Nov. 4 in Jafr, Jordan, of wounds sustained when their convoy came under fire entering a Jordanian military base. He was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. The incident is under investigation. The soldiers were assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, KY.

We remember these heroes who gave their lives for freedoms cause and the families they left behind.

Cpl. Andrew A. Aimesbury, of Strafford, NH was killed in a live fire exercise on Dec. 9. He was assigned to the Hunter Army Airfield-based 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Ft. Stewart, GA.

Staff Sgt. Michael A. Cinco, 28, of Mercedes, TX. died Dec. 21 while supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He died of wounds suffered when his patrol was attacked by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. He was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 11th Field Investigations Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, TX.

Staff Sgt. Peter W. Taub, 30, of Philadelphia, PA. died Dec. 21 while supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He died of wounds suffered when his patrol was attacked by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. He was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Detachment 816, Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD.

Staff Sgt. Chester J. McBride, 30, of Statesboro, GA. died Dec. 21 while supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He died of wounds suffered when his patrol was attacked by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. He was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Detachment 405, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL.

Technical Sgt. Joseph G. Lemm, 45, of Bronx, NY. died Dec. 21 while supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He died of wounds suffered when his patrol was attacked by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 105th Security Forces Squadron at Stewart Air National Guard Base, NY.

Staff Sgt. Louis M. Bonacasa, 31, of Coram, NY. died Dec. 21 while supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He died of wounds suffered when his patrol was attacked by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 105th Security Forces Squadron at Stewart Air National Guard Base, NY.

Maj. Adrianna M. Vorderbruggen, 36, of Plymouth, MN. died Dec. 21 while supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. She died of wounds suffered when her patrol was attacked by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. She was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 9th Field Investigations Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, FL.

Four Army aviators were killed when their UH-60 Black Hawk crashed on Nov. 23.

Sgt. 1st Class Toby A. Childers, 40, from Hays, KS

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen B. Cooley, 40, from Cantonment, FL

Sgt.1st Class Jason M. Smith, 35, from Destrehan, LA

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael F. Tharp, 40, from Katy, TX

The helicopter crashed in the northeast portion of the Fort Hood Range. All four crew members were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 291st Aviation Regiment, First Army Division West. The aircraft, assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, was on a routine training.

were killed on Nov. 23 when their AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed in South Korea. The accident happened about 50 miles east of Camp Humphreys. They were assigned to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade’s 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment and were on a routine training mission; the helicopter crashed in a mountainous area.

We remember these heroes who gave their lives for freedoms cause and the families they left behind.

Staff Sergeant Jonathan Lewis, 31, of Warrenton, VA, died 2 September, 2015 of injuries resulting from a ‘hard landing’ when the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter belonging to HMH-464, MAG-29, 2nd MAW, landed ‘harder and faster than normal’. The U.S. Marine was part of a Virginia-based anti-terror and security team training on the use of ropes to access difficult terrain, aboard Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Lewis was assigned to Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team (FAST) Company B, Marine Corps Security Force Regiment of Yorktown, VA.

Seaman Philip Frazier Manes, 21, of Fairfax, Virginia, died Sept. 27, in Manama, Bahrain, of a non-combat related incident. He was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to USS Gladiator (MCM 11), forward deployed to Bahrain.

We remember these 4 heroes who gave their lives for freedoms cause and the families they left behind.

Capt. James E. Chaffin III, 27, of West Columbia, SC, died April 1, in
Kandahar, Afghanistan, of a non-combat related incident. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC

In light of the many upcoming Veteran’s Day tributes, I share with you a brief reflection. Not too long ago, I had a conversation with a Gold Star mother about our sons and the different ways that we as a nation remember our heroes. It was a casual conversation, like many I’ve had with families across the country. But something she said struck a very deep cord. She said the lives of our children are a national treasure. I pondered that for a very long time. A national treasure. What did that mean exactly and how did it apply to our values as Americans? What do you think of when you hear the words “national treasure”?

This notion began to resonate within me. A treasure is something to be sought after, something to be coveted. Its worth is immeasurable… Can that be said about lives past? Absolutely! If you do an Internet search regarding those two words you will find many definitions, ranging from “living icons” to “founding documents.” Most anything or anyone can become a national treasure for a variety of reasons. However, think about all of the freedoms and privileges that we have in this country and then ask yourself who maintains and protects them. Freedom of speech, religion and assembly. The right to bear arms and to participate in free elections. The men and women of our armed forces are the people who put their lives on the line in order to guarantee that we don’t lose those cherished freedoms and rights. And what of the ones who don’t make it home to enjoy them?

From our nation’s inception brave men and women have willingly given their lives selflessly for freedom’s cause, preserving a way of life that we are lucky to have been born into. I think that it is entirely appropriate for all of us who benefit from that sacrifice to treasure those lives. These men and women are probably our country’s greatest treasure, for without them, freedom would not exist. Some may consider buildings, monuments or national parks to be great treasures. However, as Americans we would be unable to explore and enjoy those things without the foundation of freedom paid for with all of the lives lost to protect it. So, I must agree that the lives given for our freedom are truly a national treasure, a treasure we must outwardly acknowledge and indeed preserve, a treasure we must recognize is part of our nation’s existence, a treasure that includes the families that raised and loved these heroes, a treasure that should be placed on the highest pedestal of tribute.

This national treasure of lives given for freedom’s sake may seem like nothing more than a list of names. But each of those names belongs to a face. Some of us may personally know a hero. That person may be our own loved one or a friend or comrade. Many even have memories of a friend or relative from generations past, perhaps as far back as World War I. Those names may trigger a poignant memory. But what about those heroes from long ago who paid the same price for America? Are they any less a part of that treasure? No, this national treasure is an accumulation of thousands of individuals who were born to loving families, married the love of their life and all shared one distinct characteristic– they loved their country and would do anything to preserve it. Should we not collectively recognize and preserve their devotion?

If the lives of our fallen heroes have not already been officially designated as a national treasure it is our obligation to ensure that happens. More importantly we should each find our own way of regularly expressing honor and educating others of the value of these lives to us all.

In the more than 200 years of American history, there has never been a symbol dedicated specifically to the recognition of all military lives lost and to the families they left behind, until now. The Honor and Remember Flag is that public symbol of appreciation, a visible and tangible display of thanks that gives all citizens a way to make a silent statement of perpetual remembrance. I believe that one significant act we can make towards preserving our national treasure is to fly the Honor and Remember Flag. Through the establishment of this symbol, we are able to leave a visual legacy, create a point of discussion for educating everyone and make a national statement of thanks.

Each family in their own way diligently works to preserve their loved one’s memory. When the last person who remembers that loved one’s name passes away, he or she is truly forgotten.

I believe we must instill in our nation this idea of declaring the lives of our military fallen a national treasure. Whether in spirit or through legislation, these heroes represent the highest values of the American spirit. If we proclaim their lives to be precious and continue to call attention to their sacrifice, their contribution to our liberty will never lose its value.

Our mission is much more than encouraging the display of a simple piece of cloth. Rather, the Honor and Remember Flag is a means by which to pay daily tribute to generations of American heroes throughout history, and an important expression of preserving the legacy of our national treasure.

“Let us not mourn that such men died, but rejoice that such men lived”
~George S. Patton~
Blessings,
George